At MSI, we care about working with our community in meaningful ways. This month, our Managing Partner, Michael Enders, had the pleasure of volunteering with Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) to assist with the building of a home that will be turned over to a Veteran.
Homes For Our Troops, founded in 2004, is a nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans of the Iran and Afghanistan Wars, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury. HFOT also provides continuing support and counseling for the Veterans once the home is turned over to them. This includes providing a financial planner, homeownership education, and warranty coverage. HFOT is 100% donation-supported and is a highly-rated charity with 90% of the donations going directly to the veterans.
Since 2004, Homes For Our Troops has built over 350 specially adapted homes nationwide. But more than 1,000 service members who returned from post-9/11 wars with life-altering injuries still need adapted housing. It's safe to say, there is still much to be done, and HFOT is here to help.
This April, Michael Enders participated, for his second time, in the building of one of these homes, which will be turned over to Veteran, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rebecca Mann, in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. Rebecca Mann enlisted in the Army as a radio tech, eventually getting her commission as a Warrant Officer as a server technician before switching to cybersecurity. She deployed on her first tour to Afghanistan in 2008, and again in 2013.
In March 2014, during her second deployment, CW2 Mann was serving with the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division when she sustained an injury to her right foot. After months of pain, she eventually underwent foot reconstruction surgery, followed by two more operations; both of which were not successful. After two years, Rebecca was medically retired from the military in 2016, after 11 years of service. In October 2017, Rebecca elected to have doctors amputate her right foot. A year after the amputation, she started experiencing pain in the left leg, and she learned she had a microvascular condition that was causing pain and blood flow issues in her residual limb and left leg. After several unsuccessful attempts to correct the problem, Rebecca elected to have doctors amputate her left foot in 2020.
Receiving a donated, specially adapted home will empower Rebecca and allow her to rebuild her life, as it did for many other Veterans. Statistics from HFOT show that over 90% of Veterans that received a home have regained much of their freedom and independence, and 95% of Veterans have seen a reduction in household stress. A higher percentage of Veterans who receive a home from HFOT participate in community involvement and are even more likely to pursue a degree or trade certification.
Homes For Our Troops is a fantastic Veteran's charity, helping Veterans across the country get their lives back. If you would like more information about HFOT or would like to leave a donation, click the button below.
Michael helped to lay the sod in the yard of the new home, adding that final touch prior to what is called the "Key Ceremony" at Homes For Our Troops. You can see below just how many hands are involved in this incredible effort!